To Be Successful At Sales, You Must First Capture The Attention of Your Prospect

Sales people spend their days contacting, presenting to, and selling to buyers. Contrary to what some people may believe, buyers are not sitting on the edge of their chairs just waiting for sales people to stop by and sell their wares. Buyers have important things to do, the least of which is listening to another sales person’s story. Typically, spending time with a sales person is not on the top of any buyers prioritized daily task list. Your presentation to a buyer might be the fifth or sixth presentation they have heard that day, and their attention quotient is well below the threshold of human endurance. They will patiently listen in body, but their mind, interest, and feeling are far spent. Still, other buyers may have more pressing matters on their weary minds and their brain cells are in critical overload. We have all been there, and out of shear habit, persisted with our presentation in the face of utter hopelessness, and then we move on having performed our sales duty.

I remember as a young father, trying to capture the attention of my four-year old son. He was an active inquisitive child, his mind going a mile-a-minute and his attention span shorter than his nose. I would say something to him, or call out his name and get no more response from my actions than if I were talking to a rag doll. I discovered over time that I needed to get his attention and cause him to focus on me before he could hear and comprehend what I was saying. I would reach out my hands and press his little head gently between my open palms, then turn his head so his eyes were looking directly into mine and say, “Listen to my words.”

Don’t you sometimes wish you could do that with a buyer? Once I had his attention, and his eyes were focused on mine, he had an uncanny ability to hear, understand, and take action on my words. As long as I had my young son’s attention, we could communicate. As quickly as his attention was lost, communication was lost. I learned a valuable lesson from my child, one that I learned to adapt and apply as a sales person. If our message is to be understood and acted upon, we must first capture the attention of the buyer. It is not acceptable to believe that just because we are in their presence that we have their attention. We may be in their physical presence, but their minds are miles away.

It is not acceptable to reach out and turn the face of a buyer to focus on our eyes. However, we can do the next best thing, we can capture their attention with an appropriate prop and dialogue. We can present them with something that is so compelling that they will not blink or think a stray thought until we have explained our “attention getter”. The attention getter has three main purposes:

1. Capture attention
   
2. Provoke interest
   
3. Get them to want to hear more.

Imagine, even after listening to half a dozen sales people in the same day, capturing the attention of a buyer and causing them to mentally engage with every word you speak!

Let me you an example of what I mean. One of my clients worked for a moving and storage company. A typical homeowner who was planning to move or relocate would call three or four moving companies to get quotes for the packing and transportation of their household goods. For the most part, homeowners choose a moving company based on lowest price. My client used an attention getter to capture the attention of the prospect and to focus on quality, not just price, and to set themselves apart from all the other companies quoting the move. The attention getter went like this:

After greeting the homeowner and an introduction, the sales person would explain to the homeowner the process they would be going through to prepare an estimate for moving their household goods. The salesperson would explain that they would need to walk through the home and identify all large items, calculate cubic volumes and weights, factor in all specialty items, packing times, etc. Once the initial walk through was completed, they would review the results with the homeowner to ensure nothing had been missed. During the few moments the sales person was giving this explanation to the home owner, he was wrapping a champagne glass that he had removed from his pocket in some packing material, and then he placed it in a small box, sealed it, and handed it to the home owner.

Now the homeowner was watching with great interest, but was not too sure of the sales person’s intent. He would ask the homeowner to throw the package outside onto the driveway or sidewalk. There was always a slight hesitation because the homeowner knew what had been placed in the box. The sales person would insist. After the box was thrown the sales person would then walk out to the driveway and pick up the package. As he unwrapped the package, he would tell the homeowner about Bob and Fred who would be doing the packing and handling of their household goods if their company were fortune enough to earn their business. He would explain that Bob and Fred would do a much better job packing their property than he had done with the champagne glass. By this time the unbroken glass, to the utter amazement of the homeowner had been removed from the packing. The inference here was, “if the glass didn’t break, your household goods won’t break either”.

The sales person had certainly captured the attention of the prospect causing them to start asking very specific questions about the move. On several occasions the homeowner would go into the kitchen, pick up the phone and cancel the scheduled visits from other moving companies, having decided to use my client, even though a price quote had not yet been prepared.

An attention getter will open the mind of the buyer, and allow your message to be heard, comprehended and acted upon.

Building Rapport – Practical Application

Rapport, like every other important principle of effective salesmanship must be applied in our sales activities, not just an entry in our intellectual library. Two of my favorite authors on the subject of building rapport and for that matter, sales principles in general, are Dale Carnegie with his book How To Win Friends and Influence People and Frank Bettger’s book, How I Raised Myself From Failure to Success in Selling. Both of these men based their writings on solid, core principles of human relationships. There are no games or tricks or gimmicks in their approach to dealing with people. What they have taught us about human relationships has transcended time with simple, yet profound truth.

Dale Carnegie taught six simple, yet profound principles for encouraging people to like you. At the end of the chapter in his book he summarized these rules:

1. Become genuinely interested in other people.
2. Smile.
3. Remember that a man’s name is to him the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
4. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
5. Talk in terms of the other man’s interests.
6. Make the other person feel important–and do it sincerely.

The key element in effectively using these six rules for building rapport is sincerity. If you are not sincere in your actions you will appear as manipulative, and manipulation in any form will destroy any effort you might make in building trust with a prospect.

Years ago while attending an American Iron Ore Association meeting in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, I decided to apply these principles as I met with several of my contemporaries at the reception prior to the annual dinner. I had attended the event with one of my fellow employees and we decided that we would work ourselves around the ballroom meeting as many people as we could prior to dinner. We would then get back together for dinner and compare notes about the people we had met. I followed implicitly every one of Carnegie’s six rules. The results were absolutely amazing. People actually complemented me on my lively conversation, when in reality, all I did was listen to them talk about themselves.

At the conclusion of the social hour my associate and I sat down to dinner and talk about the people whom we had met. His first comment was that he had no idea I had so many friends and acquaintances at the conference. He said that most of the people he met, once he had introduced himself and our company, had mentioned me as someone they knew and admired. For the most part, these were people that I had not known before, but when I met them I showed genuine interest in them, called them by name, encouraged them to talk about themselves and their interests, and with sincerity, tried to make them feel important. The relationships built that evening, applying those simple rules, became the foundation for the success I have enjoyed for more than thirty years as a sales person.

In an effort to build rapport as quickly and effectively as possible, while maintaining a genuine attitude of sincerity, apply the following rules:

1. Dress appropriately for your audience, industry, and the individual.
2. Discover at least one area in which to establish some level of commonality.
3. Focus your whole attention on the other person and what is important to them.

People feel comfortable with people that are like themselves. The first impression we make with another person stems from our appearance. If we are dressed in a similar fashion to the other person, they feel comfortable with us because we appear to be like them thus establishing the principle of commonality. Early in any communication with others, try to establish a common interest or relationship. This relationship can be anything that you might have in common, a person, a place, a hobby or sport, or one’s background or interests. Remember the cardinal rule of sales, people buy from people they believe, like and trust.

One of my clients shared this experience with me the other day. He learned a hard lesson that further exemplifies this rule. My client had been made aware of a bidding opportunity for one of his products. He had never met the prospect previous to submitting his bid, but had done his research in preparing a competitive offering. He had tried to follow-up with the prospect during the bidding process but was unable to make contact. The day of the bid opening arrived and my client was identified as the low bidder among several of his competitors. He still had no contact with the decision maker. Finally my client was able to reach the buyer in his attempt to schedule the shipment of his product as the recognized low bidder only to be told that the buyer had selected one of the other bidders to supply the product, someone they had purchased from previously and at a much higher price. The question my client asked me was how could he force the issue to receive the order since he was the recognized “low bidder”?

The answer was simple, the lesson was difficult and the experience was profound. People buy from people they believe, like and trust. My client had none of the above. The buyer made the purchase from a sales person he knew and trusted and who represented a company and product he had confidence in using. The conclusion of this story will be determined over the next year by the effort my client exerts in building a relationship with the buyer instead of just offering the lowest price. Building rapport will not guarantee a sale, but it will go along way in preparing the foundation for a sale to materialize.

In his book, How I Raised Myself From Failure to Success in Selling, Frank Bettger made the following five-point summary from the section on how to make people want to do business with you:

1. “If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his sincere friend….” – Abraham Lincoln
2. Encourage young men. Help a man to see how he can be a success in life.
3. Try to get a man to tell you what is his greatest ambition in life. Help him raise his sights.
4. If anyone has inspired you, or helped you in any way, don’t keep it a secret. Tell him about it.
5. Ask a man: “How did you happen to get started in this business?” Then, be a good listener.

Apply these principles, adapt the examples to your own experience, be genuine and sincere in your efforts to build rapport with your prospects, and you will realize greater success than you would have ever imagined.

The Principle Of Building Rapport

Like it or not we all have to deal with people to achieve any degree of sales success. The more successful we are in getting others to cooperate with us, and the more people we can call our allies, the greater our chances are of achieving success.

The dynamics of human relations are pretty simple: If you relate poorly to others, success will come hard. If you relate well to others, success will come easier. Selling is hard enough, so why make it any more difficult. Building relationships with those we hope to sell will make the entire process much easier. One of the greatest principles of sales is to understand, regardless of what we might think otherwise, people buy from people they believe, like and trust.

The ability to create rapport is the ability to create a harmonious relationship based on mutual trust and emotional ties. It is the art of making someone feel comfortable and accepted. It is friendship and camaraderie; it is a special bond or kinship. It is knowing that someone is there to help you achieve your dreams and goals. In applying the principle of rapport building, your overall goal should always be, to simply make the other person feel important or at least liked and understood.

The rapport building process begins even before you open your mouth. The moment someone sets their eyes on you, they are sizing you up and making lightning fast judgments. At first, people will listen to what they see, not what they hear. Other people will judge you by how you stand, how you walk, how you shake hands, how you smile, and how you sit.

Those people who have mastered the art of rapport, know that the visual can be misleading. To get past the visual judgments and determinations, you must employ the art of conversation. It begins simply with the sharing of information. It is generally best to ask a few personal questions enveloped by their employment. For example, you could ask how long they have worked for the company and what did they do before their current employment. You could also ask them to explain what their current responsibilities entail. As they reveal more personal information in their answers you can then ask more personal questions. When a prospect shares their personal experiences with you, all traditional barriers have been removed and the relationship begins to develop. Always try to learn something about that person that you can relate to an experience in your own past, an event, a mutual acquaintance, or some other shared history. You can find some common element with everyone.

Being an active listener is more important in building rapport than being an active speaker. I learned this lesson years ago when I attended the annual meeting for the American Iron and Steel Society held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A business associate and I decided that we would meet as many people as possible during the cocktail hour and then report our success when we convened for dinner. I went one way around the large ballroom and he went the other. My objective was to encourage people to talk about themselves. In other words, put the focus of attention on them. I asked questions which encouraged their responses, while minimizing my own reply to their questions. I listened to them talk about themselves and they loved it. After all, how often do people get to tell their personal story without being interrupted? About an hour later my business associate and I compared notes. He said he had spoken with dozens of people that evening that said they knew me and spoke of me as a person they greatly admired. Before that evening I hadn’t met or had conversations with any of those people.

If you have a relaxed view of the world and have a sense of humor, it will engender people’s confidence in you. Confidence builds respect, and respect builds trust. The ability to laugh at one’s self has a deep, psychological appeal to others. It breaks down the barrier of pride and makes you appear just as human as your listeners.

One of the hardest situations in which to establish rapport is the telephone conversation, because you cannot see the face of the other person with whom you are speaking. Even if you know the person on the other end of the line, you cannot see his or her facial expressions, which can provide you with a mountain of information. If you don’t know the person with whom you are speaking, you are even more handicapped.

Building rapport over the phone is difficult, but can be mastered. Before you even pick up the telephone and place your call, the first thing you should do is put a smile on your face. Although the other person cannot see your smile, the warmth and friendliness will come through. Identify yourself immediately and explain the purpose of the call. It’s important to be businesslike and considerate. Too friendly will be unprofessional; too businesslike will be considered rude.

Never talk down to people. You’ll get further with a person if he or she thinks you care. Even if it takes time, you should always try to create an atmosphere of caring. It is a basic need of all people to feel the caring of others. Rapport building is a basic human-relations skill that fills this need, and along the way will further your own goals and objectives. Rapport building is as simple as making a person feel comfortable in your presence.

Applying these 10 tips will help you create a good first impression and establish lasting rapport:

1. Dress well and to the other person’s expectations.

2. Smile when you first see the person.

3. Establish and maintain eye contact.

4. Be the first to say hello and extend your hand.

5. If the meeting is in your office or home, greet the person at your door.

6. Deliver a sincere greeting.

7. Use the person’s name.

8. Don’t speak too softly or loudly.

9. Do the necessary homework about the person you are meeting.

10. Do more listening than talking (Listen 70% of the time).

With a little fine-tuning, anyone can become a person of warmth, concern, and charm. By learning the art of rapport building and making it a part of your everyday life, you will become a person who makes friends, influences colleges, and rises to the top. In the world of sales, always remember, “People Buy From People They Believe, Like and Trust”.

Successful Salespeople Believe In Themselves, Their Company And Their Products

Let me share with you a few of my favorite quotes on BELIEF. “Our beliefs are the seeds of action”. “It is essential for success that a person believe, but absolutely critical that one take action on those beliefs”. “Belief doesn’t sell; it provides the motivation to sell”. “Belief is the foundation of all that is good and great”. “The monuments of personal achievement are built on the bedrock of belief.”

Now I'll spend a few minutes talking about each of the three beliefs necessary for sales success and how to leverage those beliefs to increase your sales, and then I will conclude with a story of belief that has changed the world.

1. Belief In Self: Another word for this belief is confidence. When you feel sure of your abilities, you will sell with confidence. Confidence is contagious and is often confirmed when the prospect emotionally buys into what the sales person is saying. When a salesperson comes to the personal realization that they can do what it takes, they have come of age. I had a salesperson tell me one time that he could sell ice to Eskimos. Even though I don’t agree with that statement, I believe that sales person could do what he said. He believed in himself, his talents, skills, his determination and his desire. If you don’t believe in yourself, nothing else matters.

2. Belief In Company: Salespeople must believe that the company they work for will support them in their sales activities. They must believe that the company will be there for their customers. They must feel that the customer is the most important person in their employer’s world. The company must support the salesperson in that belief. They must demonstrate their willingness to go beyond what is expected to service the needs of the customer. When salespeople believe in their company and the people that stand behind it, they can create miracles in the world of sales. That belief fuels their belief in themselves.

3. Belief In Product: No salesperson has ever been ultimately successful selling a product they didn’t believe in. Their success was short lived, fleeting, and eventually led to failure. You will never consistently convince a prospect of the value of a product if you are not convinced yourself. When you truly believe in the value of your products and services, they will almost sell themselves. Your belief will generate confidence, which will fuel enthusiasm, which will promote interest, which will lead to sales. When the prospect senses your belief in the product, that belief promotes trust in you and that trust is what sales are made of. All three beliefs work together to create sales success.

To conclude, I'll share with you a profound, yet simple story about belief that has influenced the lives of millions. Platt & Munk first published this story in 1930. The history and origins of the story are clouded. I heard it for the first time when I was very young, maybe you have heard or read the story yourself – The Little Engine That Could. The belief generated by this little story is powerful enough in principle to influence the success of every salesperson. It goes like this:

Chug, chug, chug. Puff, puff, puff. Ding-dong, ding-dong. The little train rumbled over the tracks. She was a happy little train for she had such a jolly load to carry. Her cars were filled full of good things for boys and girls.

The little train was carrying all these wonderful things to the good little boys and girls on the other side of the mountain. She puffed along merrily. Then all of a sudden she stopped with a jerk. She simply could not go another inch. She tried and she tried, but her wheels would not turn.

What were all those good little boys and girls on the other side of the mountain going to do without the wonderful toys to play with and the good food to eat?

“Here comes a shiny new engine,” said the funny little clown who jumped out of the train. “Let us ask him to help us.”

“Please, Shiny New Engine, won’t you please pull our train over the mountain?

But the Shiny New Engine snorted: “I pull you? Indeed not!” And off he steamed to the roundhouse.

Then the little clown called out, “The Passenger Engine is not the only one in the world. Here is another engine coming, a great big strong one. Let us ask him to help us.”

“Please, oh, please, Big Engine,” cried all the dolls and toys together. “Won’t you please pull our train over the mountain?

But the Big Strong Engine bellowed: “I am a Freight Engine. I won’t pull the likes of you!” And the Freight Engine puffed off indignantly to the roundhouse.

“The Freight Engine is not the only one in the world. Here comes another. He looks very old and tired, but our train is so little, perhaps he can help us.”

“Please Kind Engine,” cried all the dolls and toys together. “Won’t you please pull our train over the mountain?

But the Rusty Old Engine sighed: “I am so tired. I must rest my weary wheels. I cannot pull even so little train as yours over the mountain. I can not. I can not. I can not.”

And off he rumbled to the roundhouse chugging, “I can not. I can not. I can not.”

“Here is another engine coming, a little blue engine, a very little one, maybe she will help us.”

The very little engine came chug, chugging merrily along.

“What is the matter, my friends?” she asked kindly.

“Oh, Little Blue Engine,” cried the dolls and toys. “Will you pull us over the mountain? Please, please, help us Little Blue Engine.”

“I’m not very big,” said the Little Blue Engine. “They use me only for switching trains in the yard. I have never been over the mountain.”

“But we must get over the mountain before the children awake,” said all the dolls and the toys.

Then she said, “I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.” And she hitched herself to the little train.

She tugged and pulled and pulled and tugged and slowly, slowly, slowly they started off.

Puff, puff, chug, chug, went the Little Blue Engine. “I think I can–I think I can–I think I can–I think I can–I think I can– I think I can– I think I can– I think I can– I think I can.”

Up, up, up. Faster and faster and faster and faster the little engine climbed, until at last they reached the top of the mountain.

And the Little Blue Engine smiled and seemed to say as she puffed steadily down the mountain, “I thought I could. I thought I could. I thought I could. I thought I could. I thought I could. I thought I could.”